Firearm.



T. G.- JOHNSON.

FIREARM. APPLICATION rum) APR. 19, 1909.

943,251. Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

UNITED srarns PATENT OFFIQE.

THOMAS C. JOHNSON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 WINCHESTER REPEATING- ARMS CO., OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

FIREARM.

To all 7.071 am it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Firearms; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure l a view partly in plan and partly in section of a sliding operating-handle constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 a view thereof in rear elevation on the line ab of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 a detached view in rear elevation of the wooden grip showing its rear edge.

My invention relates to an improvement in sliding operating-handles for tubular magazine firearms, the object being to produce at the minimum cost, a durable and convenient handle of attractive appearance.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a tubular wooden grip 2 having its upper face cut away throughout its length to form a clearance space 3 for the gun-barrel which is not shown. The said wooden grip is reinforced by a tubular sheet-metal shell 4 extending through it throughout its length and formed at its forward end with internal threads 5 receiving the externally threaded sleeve 6 of a cap-like ferrule 7 having its outer face rounded and its inner face formed with a recess 8 for the reception of the tenon-like extreme forward end 9 of the grip for which the cap forms a finish as well as a protection.

The rear end of the shell 4 receives a sleeve 10 brazed or otherwise secured in place, and providing means for the attachment of an operating-bar 11 the rear end of which is connected in the usual way with the mechanism of the gun. At its rear edge the sleeve 10 is formed with an annular flange 12 having fiat front and rear faces and corresponding 1n external diameter to the external diameter of the rear end of the grip 2. Now in order to prevent the grip 2 from rotating upon the smooth sheet-metal shell 4: I provide the flange 12 with two po- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 19, 1909.

Patented Dec. 14, 19%9.

Serial No. 490,949.

sitioning-rivets or studs 13 located opposite each other as shown, at a pointjust above the horizontal center of the flange, these rivets being adapted to enter small positioning-holes l l formed for their reception as seen in Fig. 3, in the rear edge of the grip. These positioning rivets or studs 13, as thus constructed and arranged, prevent the grip from being rotated or twisted and binding on the gun-barrel which is very likely to otherwise occur as the action of the hand upon the grip in operating the handle back and forth upon the tubular-magazine (not shown) naturally tends to twist it. These pins, it will be noted, are located at the very point where the twisting strain is easiest to control. The said pins also prevent the grip from spreading open which it is otherwise likely to do on account of being cut longitudinally throughout its length for the for mation of the clearance space 3. For the performance of this function it is, of course, desirable that the pins shall be located as near the cut as possible.

I claim In a sliding operating-handle for tubular magazine firearms, the combination with a tubular wooden grip, of a sheet-metal shell inserted thereinto, a ferrule attached to the front end of the said shell and having the front edge of the grip inserted into it, a sheet-metal sleeve telescoped into the rear end of the said sheet metal shell and fastened thereto, an operating-bar rigid with the said sleeve and extending rearward therefrom for connection with the breechmechanism of the gun, a flat annular flange rigid with the rear end of the sleeve and having the rear edge of the grip abutted against its flat front face, and positioning pins mounted in the said flange and extending forward at a right angle to the plane thereof into corresponding holes in the rear edge of the grip which they prevent from rotating and from spreading.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS C. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

FREDERIo C. EARLE, CLARA L. WEED. 

